The packaging and design industries have experienced unprecedented growth in recent years both locally and abroad. In order to deliver market-ready materials to an end-market that continues to grow both in its demands and its appetite for innovative packaging solutions, material suppliers and packaging companies are investing heavily into new technologies in the hope that it will give them a competitive edge.

“In this constant race to the top, business process engineering is one area that is often overlooked and neglected, despite the fact that it offers obvious benefits and savings to the entire company,” says Kishan Singh, MD of GI Business Solutions (Pty) Ltd – a Durban-based consultancy that specialises in implementing business management systems that meet the unique needs of its clients.

GI Business Solutions is a DNV.GL/ISO9001:2015 Certified, level one B-BBEE company that specialises in the design, development and implementation of business management systems, auditing systems, process re-engineering and packaging optimisation solutions. They also offer various business-related training courses, as well as accompanying competency evaluations, through formal written assessments. This year, the company celebrates its fifth year since it opened its doors for the first time, after Kishan identified a need in the market for expert guidance in the packaging industry specifically to assist companies with their business processes.

“With more than 32 years of experience in automotive and packaging manufacturing/quality management arenas, I realised the need for effective business support by consultants with the correct experience and competence,” Kishan says.

Amongst his many accomplishments, Kishan is the Global Ambassador of the World Packaging Organisation (WPO) and National Education Officer of the Institute of Packaging SA (IPSA) and has achieved the coveted designation “Certified Packaging Professional” (CPP) by the international Institute of Packaging Professionals (IoPP), based in the USA. His in-depth knowledge of the industry sees him often being called upon to conduct global training on behalf of the WPO on issues ranging from packaging technology, graphic design and supply chain management. He has also been wearing the hat as CEO of MetPac-SA – the Producer Responsibility Organisation responsible for representing the interests of the local metals packaging industry in South Africa. He is also an academic who is frequently called upon to facilitate lectures and workshops on Supply Chain Management, TQM and Lean Six Sigma at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, School of Extended Learning.

“However, my passion is business process engineering as well as designing and implementing tailor-made solutions that are ISO compliant for clients, because I have seen what a difference it makes to companies that we have helped, including Amcor, Hulamin, Bidvest Silveray Stationery Company, Bleistahl Engineering, National Brands, and Polyflex to name but a few”, Kishan says. As proof of this passion and drive to pass on his knowledge and expertise, Kishan also recently acquired the Lean Six Sigma Black Belt status through Dr Mikel Harry’s Six Sigma Management Institute, USA, and is currently busy with his Masters/PhD degree in Quality Management in South Africa, focussing on Business Modelling to Extract True Financial Value from ISO9001:2015 (as opposed to current ISO9001:2015 Business Models that lack positive financial impact.)

The ISO 9000 family of quality management systems standards help ensure that organizations meet the needs of their customers and other stakeholders while meeting statutory and regulatory requirements related to a product or service. It fundamentally deals with quality management systems, and there are various requirements that organizations wishing to meet the standard, must fulfil. If done and implemented correctly, Kishan and his team advocate that ISO certification helps ensure that companies implement lean, profitable business processes that not only saves money, time and resources, but also unlocks many other benefits for companies.

“We want to make sure that the process is as easy and hassle-free as possible for the clients, but very thorough and in-depth. We hold our clients’ hands every step of the way, and become integrally involved in their operations”, says Kishan.

The first step the GI Business Solutions team takes is to begin with an in-depth, baseline reporting. Once they have identified the client’s needs, they consult with the client and together decide upon the best business management system to implement, such as ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, ISO 45000:2015 (OHAS 18001), FSSC 22000, ISO 31000 or ISO 50000. They develop affordable, tailor-made, yet practical solutions for the effective implementation of such systems, coupled with the necessary training and education support their clients might need to sustain such systems. Obtaining third party certification of processes is also an important part of the service offering, and GI Business Solutions engages with various Certification Bodies (i.e. DNV.GL, SABS, SGS, Lloyds of London and BVQI) on behalf of their clients.

“We ensure that systems we have implemented continue to deliver ongoing improvements and benefits. The best way to measure success, is to record an improvement on a company’s financials or balance sheet and this is achieved through effective value analysis and value engineering,” he says.

Judging by the company’s growing list of clients and track record of successes, it is clear that they are busy making a name for themselves and carving out a niche role in the local packaging industry. “Consumers have become more aware of food packaging and are demanding unquestionable standards when it comes to their safety, the environmental impact and the protection of their rights. Packaging companies who are hoping to not only survive, but flourish, will need professional training and support of their businesses. GI Business Solutions is this link that has been missing until now. We have the proof to back up our claims that our solutions work and are ready to lend a helping hand to anybody who might need it, and look forward to the next five years of growth,” Kishan concludes.

Photo: Sensor solutions that make autonomous vehicles safe and efficient tools for enhanced intralogistical productivity are available from SICK. Introducing the SICK modular Eco-Systems – designed for autonomous guided carts.

Industry 4.0 – and with it the demands for customised flexible intralogistics solutions – is being increasingly implemented within the courier, express and parcel (CEP) industry. Autonomous guided carts (AGCs) and tuggers prove to be efficient add-ons and alternatives to traditional material flow and sorter systems. This is according to Volker Glöckle, Head of Industry Cluster Intralogistics at SICK Automation.

SICK offers its modular Eco-System for AGCs with sensor solutions that make autonomous vehicles safe and efficient tools for enhanced intralogistical productivity.

Flexible logistical processes in CEP distribution centres require transportation techniques that can be adapted for the particular tasks – and also in terms of their sensor and control system technology. The aim is to exploit intelligent self-organising vehicle fleets that meet the growing need for flexibility, and thus efficiently network internal material flows in production and logistical processes.

Conveying and sorting systems at CEP sites are designed mainly for objects with clearly defined dimensions. But the variety of goods to be handled has grown considerably with the boom in e-commerce. Furniture, tyres, bikes, and other items are so large in shape and volume that they need special intralogistical handling. “Self-driving tuggers are a smart solution for handling such items automatically,” Glöckle says. “The efficiency of the entire goods handling system in the hub increases significantly because workers are relieved from heavy and monotonous transportation tasks, and are available for high-value skilled tasks.”

Modular Eco-System for smart AGCs in warehouse logistics As the autonomous tuggers and personnel in the warehouse work side-by-side, the AGCs are equipped with state-of-the-art SICK safety technology. Their localisation capabilities are also made by SICK – all provided as a turnkey solution that offers flexible adaptability to both the current and future needs at individual sorting facilities. Sensors and control units can be adopted to create customer- and application-specific solutions for mobile material flow technologies. “The entire Eco-System offers a variety of solution approaches for tasks involving personal safety, localisation and collision prevention, as well as for the handling and identification of transport loads,” Glöckle points out.

AGCs, sensor and CEP expertise come together for ideal performance

SICK’s portfolio for smart mobile automation merges the company’s long-term experience in AGV and AGC applications with its intelligent sensor technologies and broad knowledge of CEP processes. The variety of solutions for vehicle guidance (optical and magnetic line detection or grid localisation via data matrix codes, for example) combined with the wide range of safety-certified scanners, sensors and control components for 2D, 3D and 360° vehicle protection prove the flexibility of SICK sensor solution packages. “Other sensor solutions allow the automatic handling and identification of pallets, mesh boxes and other loading aids. Thus goods in tuggers or AGCs remain within the closed IT cycle of the operation and can be tracked and traced at all times,” Glöckle says. “Intelligent sensors also provide diagnostic functions – allowing optimised maintenance routines and the prevention of AGC failures, increasing vehicle availability as well as hub productivity.”

In addition to the flexible, individual arrangement of a solution, the SICK Eco-System minimises its complexity. All components are co-ordinated with one another, interfaces are harmonised and everything is available from a single source. This reliably minimises integration and functional risks. Moreover, the information from a variety of sensors can be transferred to higher-ranking control systems in the form of pre-processed raw data – simplifying their integration in a customer-specific control environment. Finally, the Eco-System is also designed to integrate the mobile material flow solution of the CEP warehouse in the cloud.

Understand how Industry 4.0 is picking up speed with sensor solutions for mobile vehicles and carts – https://youtu.be/B1erx1BDdzQ

Imagine if your brand had instant access to hundreds of consumers every day. Making a decision about whether to make your new logo postbox red or ice blue, or the likelihood of your target market taking interest in a new product or service could be answered speedily and without the need to invest large chunks of time on costly market research. Or worse, waste money on an idea that was doomed to flop from the start.

Introducing Opinion Solutions, a business that prides itself in helping brands to access and start real-time conversations with the people who matter most – their consumers and clients. Through the power and reach of social media technology, Opinion Solutions builds engaged communities by asking the right questions at exactly the right time. It’s like having hundreds of consumers in your boardroom every day. You can ask them exactly what you want, when you want and receive immediate, direct feedback.

“Consumers like to see themselves as being a part of the decision making process. The days of your customers simply being passive recipients of products and services is long over,” says Tanya van Tonder, founder and MD of Opinion Solutions.

“Businesses that give customers the opportunity to feel like they have a say, build brand loyalty and endearing relationships.”

Opinion Solutions holds the exclusive African license to Upinion, a powerful mobile platform that allows real-time responses and builds conversations between a company and its consumers. The company specialises in building panels and research services specifically designed for a client’s needs. Opinion Solutions will tailor mobile surveys for instant feedback, and offer online and offline face to face interventions. Surveys and engagements are tracked and can be linked to further services and treatments.

But it’s not only the relationships between corporate clients and consumers that Opinion Solutions can assist with. The company has had enormous success in assisting with building engagement for media as well as social development and academic research projects.

“People feel more comfortable answering personal questions when they engage via mobile technology that ensures confidentiality. We’ve also found that they are more likely to answer honestly, because they don’t feel the pressure of providing an answer they believe the interviewer wants to hear,” says Van Tonder.

Precise information about what the public wants and expects is pivotal to crafting (and tweaking) campaigns, products and service offerings. Opinion Solutions takes a client’s challenges and uses them to craft compelling questions and surveys that are easy, quick and fun to complete.

“The direct access and engagement we have through Upinion is significant. I like to say it’s like focus groups on steroids,” says Van Tonder.

Through a range of services, Opinion Solution’s clients have the opportunity to build community panels of people recruited according to specific target markets. Alternatively, Opinion Solutions has public panels comprising thousands of South Africans, which can be leveraged for broader responses.

Continuous engagement is encouraged through a built-in reward system that includes electronic vouchers, discount coupons, prize draws, airtime and free products. The rewards portfolio can be customised to suit any budget.

“There are so many ways in which Upinion can be beneficial, be it grassroots, brand awareness, academic, in-house, corporate or anything you can think of,” says Van Tonder. “And we love a challenge. Let us know what information you need and we can craft the perfect solution.”

HR Company Solutions proudly presents Madelein Smit as participant on Season 2 of the popular “How Do I Look? South Africa” on E!

JOHANNESBURG, 29 OCTOBER 2018 – HR Company Solutions, one of the fastest growing human resource companies in South Africa and with a focus on Premium Placement Service, is proud to announce that one of it’s founding members and directors, Madelein Smit, will be participating in the second season of the popular show “How Do I Look? South Africa” Season 2.

Following the success of the first season, each episode of How Do I Look? South Africa Season Two will delve deeper into the personal journeys of the participants hailing from all walks of life. Roxy Burger will once again host the show, which takes the participants on a personal journey to transform their styles and lives.

Madelein Smit commented, “As an HR Professional, I engage with a diverse amount of people, who are all on different paths during their life and career. I have always been a bubbly and outgoing person myself and I thought I looked amazing but the opportunity of being on this show has given me extraordinary confidence and really left an impression on me. As a Mom and business owner, I always felt rushed to be at every event, to run my business smoothly and to stand out as the person who has it all under control. I often felt like I didn’t make time for myself or acknowledge how important it was for me to take the time to accentuate my figure stylishly, to wear a hair style that suits me and put some pretty make up on that would make me feel more beautiful and truly show the world how I felt on the inside through my appearance. I feel more empowered in the way that I dress and in how I project myself outwardly and I feel that I deserve the extra time for myself too. I enjoy speaking to the younger generation about dressing to make an impression, especially for interviews and it has been incredible to get involved with ‘How do I look, South Africa’ because everyone that was a part of that team was devoted to the show, to the participants and could envisage the long term aspect of it all by ensuring that I felt like a star in the end. I think that we all need a little sparkle in our lives and as long as it makes you a better person, you should embrace the adventure and enjoy the process.”

Madelein’s episode will air on 22 November, tune in to DStv channel 124.

About HR Company Solutions: HR Company Solutions is one of the fastest growing Human Resource companies in South Africa, with a focus on Premium Placement Services. Headed by a highly experienced and skilled Managing Director with over 10 years’ of experience in the Human Resource field across the hospitality, petroleum and logistics industries, and backed by a team of experts, HR Company Solutions creates cost-effective and personalised outsourced HR solutions.

Although we live in the age of information, having too much information – and not being able to make sense of it – can be overwhelming. For companies that receive large amounts of media coverage every month, analysing this information can provide them with valuable insights that can shape their business strategies.

Media analysis offers answers to the question: ‘Why?’ Knowing these answers gives you the chance to see what is working – and what isn’t – and replicate your success.

Through encouraging the co-creation of reports with clients, Focal Points ensures that the insights and reporting that they deliver are relevant and align with each client’s unique requirements.

“What sets us apart is the fact that we don’t offer cookie-cutter solutions,” Cavanagh says. “We can tailor our solutions to meet our clients’ every need, giving them analysis and insights they can actually use.”

Focal Points has just launched its website, www.focalpoints.co.za. Visit the site for more information on their personalised media analysis solutions. Alternatively, you can keep up with the latest news on its social pages: Twitter and LinkedIn.